Many cultures celebrate holidays around the Winter Solstice, the darkest time of the year. In spite of the darkness, we find little ways to remind ourselves that these long nights will pass and the cold will subside. We decorate trees, light candles, and illuminate walkways with string lights. We hunker down with our loved ones by the fire, warm drinks in hand. Although December holds the longest nights of the year, the month is brimming with warmth from our holiday cheer. After the holidays, we move forward through the winter encouraged by the promise of brighter days over the snow-covered horizon.

JP sanctuary, lovingly nicknamed Joy and Peace, exists to rescue animals from their darkest days. After seasons of neglect and abuse, our rescued farm animals find warmth and comfort in the light of Oscar and Lynn’s home. In this place of healing, there is a promise of brighter days ahead as they embrace new friendships and settle into an enriching routine.

Mozza, that’s me.

The power of sanctuary transforms everyone involved. The animals help us slow down and become truly present. They embody the grace and happiness of living for each moment. For those who are willing to observe, there are many more lessons being modeled at JP sanctuary. Copper, our newest dairy cow, reminds us with her endless licks to express gratitude and affection to the ones we care about. Ronnie the turkey reminds us to be confident in who we are (even if our feathers are hardly as magnificent as his). Mozza, our floppy-eared pig, reminds us to seize the moment with her spontaneous runs through an open meadow. After a year full of love, laughter, and lessons, everyone is preparing for a cold winter. As we hunker down for the coming months, we are warmed by the memories and support of all our friends this past year.

That’s Shirley and Pepper

As gifts are given across the world this season, a feeling of gratitude is exchanged. More than wrapping paper with bows on top, these gifts invigorate the community we’ve created as we embark on a new chapter together. Each year, sanctuaries give the gift of second chances. Our animals have been rescued from their darkest days, brought in from the cold of a world that viewed them as products into the warmth of the family we’ve created at JP.

And we’re Copper & Allie

Sanctuaries survive solely on the generosity of others. The gift we give to the animals is only possible through the gifts we receive by those who love them. This holiday season, help support the power of sanctuary. There are different ways to give a meaningful gift through JP Farm Animal Sanctuary today!

• Choose an animal to symbolically adopt! Will you choose Tallulah, our Scottish Highlander cow with sassy bangs and a craving for cookies; or will you choose Rudy, our newest rooster that has an appetite for adventure and loves being held.
• Contribute towards our winter stocking of hay. This donation supports every rescued animal on the farm, whether giving the gift of hay to eat or bedding to stay warm.

We hope everyone feels a sense of belonging and love this holiday season! May your days stay merry and bright.

Kindly,
Ashley the caregiver,

Would you like to be a part of the sanctuary community? Sign up for our newsletter, write to us, share our sanctuary with others, volunteer or make a donation.

Let us consider the origins of our Thanksgiving tradition. After the final harvest of the year, families came together to feast as winter loomed around the corner. They shared gratitude for overcoming a year of obstacles and celebrated moments of good fortune. With difficult months ahead, this holiday reinforced a sense of community. In a time before football was on TV and cranberry sauce came in cans, the focus of Thanksgiving was on our family and friends. How did we make this thankful experience synonymous with eating a turkey dinner?

Turkeys are far more than just vessels for stuffing. Turkeys are sentient beings, feeling an array of emotions and having distinct personalities from one another. One turkey may forge a strong connection with a caregiver, looking for cuddles, while another prefers to explore uncharted territory. These friendly creatures are emotionally and socially complex. After spending a few minutes with a turkey, you can learn to be intune with their mood. The muted coloring on the skin of a turkey’s head and neck showcases a calm, relaxed demeanor. On the other hand, bolder colors indicate bolder moods!

Sadly, in the mass production of animals, these vibrant individuals are exploited for profit. 68 million turkeys are slaughtered in preparation for the holiday season alone in the United States. Confined to four square feet of space each, over 15,000 turkeys live in the same coop. Filthy and overcrowded, humans will clip their beaks and claws to stop them from lashing out in anguish at one another. Turkeys are specifically excluded from the Humane Methods of Slaughter Act, meaning they are conscious and afraid upon execution. Although they can naturally live for as long as a decade, turkeys raised in factory farms are killed between 12 to 14 weeks as hens, or 16 to 19 weeks as toms. This is a short fraction of their natural lifespan. How did we stray so far from the core values of Thanksgiving?

Instead of being a table’s centerpiece, turkeys are the center of attention at JP Farm Animal Sanctuary! Ronald the turkey, or Ronnie for short, is an important member of the JP family, and serves as an ambassador to turkeys everywhere. This Thanksgiving, you will find Ronnie displaying his beautiful brown and off-white feathers with his new friend, Rudy the rooster.

That’s me with Rudy the rooster

Throughout the year, Ronnie has been grieving the loss of his best friend, Bernard the turkey. Ronnie & Bernie arrived at their forever home together, and quickly became a part of each other’s flock. To help mend a broken heart, Lynn and Oscar have invited Ronnie inside their home to be part of their human flock! As one of the few special people with a turkey for a roommate, Lynn shares some insight into Ronnie’s day to day antics. “Ronnie can be vocal and likes to watch everything that is going on. He is sweet but can also be a bit stubborn at times. He now gobbles when Ace barks as a visitor arrives. He wants to be part of the family and will follow me around the house.” This Thanksgiving season, let us return to the roots of this thankful holiday. Together, we can redefine our holiday traditions to incorporate love and compassion for all living beings in our community!

With warmth & love,
Ashley the caregiver

Would you like to be a part of the sanctuary community? Sign up for our newsletter, write to us, share our sanctuary with others, volunteer or make a donation.

After taking a tour of the sanctuary, we would often ask our guests, “which animal did you find the most interesting?” and more often than not, the answer would be Ronnie and Bernie, our two resident turkeys. It always struck me as strange that so many people would choose the same animal but having put some thought into it, I wonder if it is because turkeys are animals who are generally one of the least acknowledged farmed animals.

Let’s face it, outside of Christmas and Thanksgiving, mentions of our feathered friends are few and far between and this being said, maybe I shouldn’t be so surprised that so many people are taken aback at just how friendly, funny and majestic turkeys truly are; I think it is pretty safe to say, turkeys are so underrated by society!

With Thanksgiving here, we really wanted to take that underappreciation and turn it on its head. We want to take this opportunity to sing the deserved praises of turkeys and speak to some of their little quirks that make them such charming and unique creatures. Whilst we can’t talk for all turkeys, we can definitely give some insight into the individual personalities of Ronnie and Bernie and we’ll even sprinkle in some turkey facts whilst we’re at it!

Both Ronnie and Bernie love to be around people but definitely on their own terms. They will happily follow you and stand next to you but if they don’t know you too well, they may still avoid your hand if you reach out to pet them; They will do this with the funniest little sidestep, whilst looking at you, out of the corner of their eye. They can be pretty picky eaters when they want to be. We eventually figured out they will eat a handful of blueberries in a matter of seconds!

JP’s Thanks-living Celebration 2021

One of my favorite things about this pair is how they will let out the most hearty ‘laugh’. You’ve probably heard it described as a ‘gobble’ rather than a laugh but it really sounds like they are hysterically laughing at you! They are always synchronized and my favorite times are when I have been in the barn cleaning by myself and I’ll break the silence with a sneeze and the second that sound escapes me, both Ronnie and Bernie will erupt in their laughter. It brought me so much joy every time.

Their confidence continues to grow and they get more and more adventurous as time goes on. They are more than happy to spend time with our human visitors and given the chance, they will wander off, up the hill, to go and see what’s happening at the house or in the chicken coop! So whether it’s humans, chickens, cows or pigs, Ronnie and Bernie are so at ease and seem to really enjoy the company of others.

So whether it’s humans, chickens, cows or pigs, Ronnie and Bernie are so at ease and seem to really enjoy the company of others.

Turkey facts

• They can fly up to 60mph and run up to 18mph.
• Their vision is 3 times clearer than our 20/20.
• Individual turkeys have their own distinct voices that can be recognised by other turkeys.
• They can memorize precise details of an area up to 1000 acres in size.
• The skin on their head and throat changes color – the bolder colors indicate more heightened emotions.
• The snood (fleshy part right above their bill) can grow to up to 5-6 inches and females are more attracted to longer snoods.
• Almost 50 million turkeys are killed for Thanksgiving every year.
• Babies will stay with their mother for about a year in the wild. Turkeys in the food industry will often never meet their mother and are instead born in an incubator.
• Turkeys are not protected from abuse by any federal laws and therefore often suffer greatly before they are killed.

Let’s give thanks with compassion this year and leave turkeys off of our plates!

Love to all beings ❤️
From Jenny & the whole JP Family